Baby food… it looks like goop, smells kind of odd, and sometimes even makes you recoil with one of those, “Whoa. Eww” faces. And to top it all off, you have no clue what the heck is really in it — that is, if you’re buying it by the cartload in the big-box store. Why not whip up your own batches of food for your culinary cutie? Don’t stress — it’s totally not as tough as it may seem. Check out these easy-to-make recipes that are so downright yummy you’ll actually want to try them too!
Zucchini + Apple + Kiwi Puree With Mint
It sounds more like a face mask recipe than something your baby would eat, but it’s all good when it comes to a pint-sized palette. It’s super healthy, and the mellow tastes and refreshing mint meld together to make a lightly textured food that your little one will gladly gum up. (via Baby FoodE)
Moroccan-ish Carrots and Yams
Think your baby is ready for an international introduction to the wide world of foodie finds? Even though she isn’t able to chomp down on some of your favorite fare, this fragrant recipe may do the trick. It’s simple, yet flavorful and sweet enough that it will tempt your tyke’s tiny taste buds. (via Smitten Kitchen)
Pineapple Avocado Smoothie
This isn’t technically a meant-for-baby recipe; it’s actually a pretty tasty grown-up smoothie that you can share with your kiddo. The heavy citrus (thanks to orange juice and pineapple) may not go over well with a young baby’s sensitive tummy, so it’s best to wait until your little one is at least a year old before trying this recipe out. (via Cookie + Kate)
Strawberries and Cream Breakfast Quinoa
The over-one (one year, that is) set will take to this highly textured quinoa recipe. The sweetness of the strawberries is totally tasty, but that’s not all this breakfast treat has to offer — your kiddo will also get a nutritious kick out of the superfood grain. (via The Little Epicurean)
Slow Cooker Asparagus, Spinach, and Potato Soup
It’s vegan, it’s packed with veggies, and you can make it in the slow cooker. This is another recipe that was made more for you than for baby, but that shouldn’t stop you from serving it up to your older infant (cooled appropriately, of course). Instead of playing short-order chef and cooking multiple meals, this recipe is a one-size-fits-all family fave. (via Bowl of Delicious)
Acorn Squash and Ginger Puree
It may sound like a side you’d get at a fancy restaurant, but it was developed with babies in mind! Not only is this absolutely yummy (you might find yourself sneaking a few bites), but the ginger also helps with baby’s digestion. (via Baby FoodE)
Peach Sauce With Nutmeg
As if peaches weren’t tasty enough on their own, add in nutmeg and you have a palate-pleasing recipe that pint-sized diners will love. It’s sweet, it’s kind of sassy, and you can even freeze it for a later date. (via Smitten Kitchen)
Welcome to Selfmade Finance School, our new money series with Block Advisors to help small business owners with their tax, bookkeeping, and payroll needs year-round. This week, we explore the tax implications of bringing family members into your business.
The question for today is this: Does hiring your family members make sense for your business? Let me be clear. This is not a piece about whether hiring your family members makes sense for your relationships with those family members. As someone who is part of a family business, I could fill up a lot more than 600 words on my opinions about that. For today's purposes, we focus on whether it makes sense from an overall "good business and tax implication" perspective. As it turns out, there is a decent amount of tax nuance when it comes to employing your family. Let's break it down based on relationship to the employee:
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Spouses Who Are In Business Together
Personally, if I had to be in business with my husband, it would not go well. However, many couples build viable, strong businesses together and I say, good for them! Depending on how you have your business entity structured, it will make a big difference on the tax treatment of you and your spouse working as partners. Because a business jointly owned and operated by a married couple is generally treated as a partnership for Federal tax purposes, the spouses must comply with filing and record keeping requirements imposed on partnerships and their partners. The election to file two Schedule C (Form 1040) forms, (one for each spouse) permits certain married co-owners to avoid filing partnership returns, provided that each spouse separately reports a share of all the businesses' items of income, gain, loss, deduction, and credit. Under the election, both spouses will be subject to self-employment tax and on net earnings from self-employment and receive credit for Social Security earnings.
One Spouse Employs Another
If you have a dynamic where your spouse is an employee of your business, then your spouse's wages are subject to income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare taxes. If you are self-employed (not a corporation or a partnership), your spouse's pay does not have to be included in your federal unemployment tax account (FUTA) contributions and payments. However, if your business is a corporation or a partnership you must include that spouse's pay in your unemployment tax contribution calculation.
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You Employ Your Child
First, let's be clear. I work in my family business, but I am an adult, so I am treated just like a normal employee. However, if you, for example, run a family restaurant and want to hire your children under 18 to work for you, there are some tax benefits. But first, you should check with your state for rules on how many hours minors can work (in non-agricultural jobs) and reference the Fair Labor Standards Act for information on limitations on the kinds of work children can perform.
"This is an often overlooked or under-utilized strategy. Paying your children for true services they provide in your business can be a powerful tax-saving tool," says Cathi Reed, Block Advisors Regional Director. "If you are a sole-proprietorship or single member LLC, and the child is less than 18 years of age, the business is not required to withhold FICA or payroll taxes. The child can use his or her standard deduction against income you pay."
You Hire Your Parent
Oh dear. If you are brave enough to do this, know that you will need to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on your parent's wages and make the appropriate withholdings, but you don't have to pay unemployment taxes. Now all you have to do is convince your parent that you are the boss. Have fun with that!
Is Hiring Family Members Worth It For The Tax Benefits?
"There are some positive tax advantages to hiring family members. It's important to treat a family member like any other employee. Hiring your children can result in substantial savings for businesses. Make sure your child has real, age-appropriate work to do and a reasonable pay rate, comparable to other employees. Consult with a Block Advisors small business certified tax pro to ensure that you are complying with all requirements," advises Reed. "Block Advisors, a team within H&R Block, is dedicated to meeting the tax, bookkeeping and payroll needs of small business owners year-round. To start working with the tax experts at Block Advisors, visit blockadvisors.com."
In my opinion, you should not hire a family member solely because of the tax benefits. You should always hire based on whether that person is right for the job and keep in mind how this hire could materially impact your relationship with that person and others in your family. Finally, as I mentioned, make sure you have a tax professional on your team when making these determinations. As you can see, things can get a little tricky!
*All details were sourced from IRS.gov and blockadvisors.com
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regards to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results. Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. O'Keeffe Financial Partners and any other entity listed herein is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS Investor Disclosures: https://bit.ly/KF-Disclosures